Automated radioisotope seed loader system for implant needles
First Claim
1. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
- a single drop-in, enclosed replaceable cartridge containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers preloaded into the cartridge, the cartridge having at least one aperture; and
a loading station having structure defining a drop-in cartridge receiving structure including an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture of the cartridge into each of a plurality of implant needles when the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure and each of the plurality of implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds and spacers within the implant needle.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles includes a loading station into which a replaceable cartridge may be positioned. The cartridge is preloaded with a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers. The cartridge has at least one aperture and preferably the radioisotope seeds and spacers are loaded around the periphery of a rotatable drum within the cartridge. The loading station has a cartridge receiving structure and an automated motion control system. When the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure, the automated motion control system preferably drives a pair of stepper motors within the cartridge, one for rotating the rotatable drum and one for sliding a pushrod to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers from the cartridge into each of a plurality of implant needles positioned so as to receive the radioisotopes seeds and spacers within the implant needle. In one embodiment, the implant needles are positioned tip first into the loading station, and once a predetermined arrangement of radioisotope seeds and spacers are loaded into the implant needle, a plug is positioned in the tip of the implant needle. Preferably, the automated system includes a computer processor having a touch screen user interface that is connected to and directs the operation of the automated motion control system to load the plurality of implant needles in accordance with a predetermined dose plan.
195 Citations
34 Claims
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1. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
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a single drop-in, enclosed replaceable cartridge containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers preloaded into the cartridge, the cartridge having at least one aperture; and
a loading station having structure defining a drop-in cartridge receiving structure including an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture of the cartridge into each of a plurality of implant needles when the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure and each of the plurality of implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds and spacers within the implant needle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
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a cartridge containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers preloaded into the cartridge, wherein the cartridge includes a single rotatable drum and wherein the plurality of radioisotope seeds and the plurality of spacers are preloaded into apertures spaced around the periphery of the rotatable drum, the cartridge having at least one aperture; and
a loading station having structure defining a cartridge receiving structure and including an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture of the cartridge into each of a plurality of implant needles when the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure and each of the plurality of implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds and spacers within the implant needle. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into an implant needle comprising:
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at least one source of a plurality of radioisotope seeds, a plurality of spacers and a plurality of plugs to be selectively ejected from at least one aperture;
structure for holding a tip of an implant needle in a position relative to the at least one aperture; and
an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture into the tip of the implant needle and selectively positions one of the plurality of plugs in the tip of the implant needle after the radioisotope seeds and spacers have been ejected into the tip of the implant needle to hold the radioisotope seeds and spacers in place in the implant needle. - View Dependent Claims (14)
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15. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into an implant needle comprising:
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a cartridge containing at least a plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded into the cartridge, the cartridge having at least one aperture and containing a machine readable storage medium that stores indicia representing at least the quantity of the plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded into the cartridge; and
a loading station having structure defining a cartridge receiving structure and including a computer processor that accesses the machine readable storage medium and utilizes the indicia stored therein to control an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds from the at least one aperture of the cartridge into the implant needle when the cartridge is positioned in the cartridge receiving structure and the implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds within the implant needle. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into an implant needle comprising:
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at least one source of a plurality of radioisotope seeds to be selectively ejected from at least one aperture;
a loading station operably connected to the at least one source and including an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds from the at least one aperture into the implant needle using a push rod; and
at least one position sensor operably connected to the automated motion control system and positioned in a line of travel of the push rod to detect movement of the push rod. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
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(a) providing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers;
(b) using an automated motion control system to move a straight push rod to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers into each of a plurality of implant needles from at least one aperture when each of the plurality of implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotope seeds and spacers with the implant needle. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27)
sensing a proper positioning of the implant needle relative to the at least one aperture.
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26. The method of claims wherein step (b) is performed such that the plurality of implant needles are positioned relative to the at least one aperture one implant needle at a time and wherein the automated motion control system selectively ejects the radioisotope seeds and spacers into the plurality of implant needles one implant needle at a time.
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28. A method for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
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(a) providing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers;
(b) using an automated motion control system to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers into each of a plurality of implant needles from at least one aperture when each of the plurality of implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture so as to receive the selectively ejected radioisotopes seeds and spacers into a tip of each of the plurality of implant needles. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30)
(c) providing a plurality of plugs; and
(d) using the automated motion control system to selectively position one of the plurality of plugs in the tip of the implant needle after the radioisotope seeds and spacers have been ejected into the tip of the implant needle to hold the radioisotope seeds and spacers in place in the implant needle.
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30. The method of claim 28 wherein step (b) further comprises:
aligning the tip of the implant needle relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge.
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31. A method for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
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(a) providing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers in a cartridge having a machine readable storage medium that stores indicia representing at least the quantity and location of the plurality of radioisotope seeds preloaded into the cartridge; and
(b) using an automated motion control system having a computer processor and a machine readable medium that stores at least a predetermined dose plan to selectively eject radioisotope seeds and spacers from the cartridge into each of a plurality of implant needles wherein the computer processor controls the automated motion control system to selectively eject radioisotope seeds from the cartridge in response to the indicia and the predetermined dose plan.
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32. An automated system for loading low dose radioisotope seeds into a plurality of implant needles comprising:
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a cartridge assembly containing a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers preloaded into the cartridge and having at least one aperture, the cartridge assembly housing;
at least one rotatable drum having a plurality of radioisotope seeds and a plurality of spacers preloaded into apertures in the at least one rotatable drum;
a first stepper motor to drive the at least one rotatable drum; and
an associated encoder for the at least one rotatable drum and related circuitry that provide a positional feedback signal; and
a loading station having structure including an automated motion control system that selectively ejects radioisotope seeds and spacers from the at least one aperture of the cartridge assembly into each of a plurality of implant needles when each of the plurality of implant needles is positioned relative to the at least one aperture of the cartridge assembly by controlling the first stepper motor in response to the positional feedback signal from the associated encoder. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34)
a second stepper motor that operably drives a pushing member along a line of travel through a selectively indexed one of the apertures in the at least one rotatable drums.
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34. The automated system of claim 32 wherein the cartridge assembly includes a single rotatable drum containing both the seeds and the spacers in apertures defined in the periphery of the single rotatable drum.
Specification